The Washington State Senate today voted unanimously in favor of Senate Bill 5260, which removes the 75-foot length limit for saddlemount vehicle combinations from Washington State Law and increases the limit to 97 feet.

“You’ve probably seen these vehicle combinations on freeways around the state. Often it’ll be a chain of tractor-trailer cabs,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and sponsor of the bill. “This bill will bring Washington into compliance with the federal standard.”

A saddlemount vehicle combination is a combination of vehicles in which a truck or truck tractor tows one or more trucks or truck tractors, each connected by a saddle to the frame or fifth wheel of the vehicle in front of it. Under current Washington State law, saddlemount vehicle combinations may not exceed 75 feet in overall length. However, federal law prohibits states from imposing an overall length limit of less than or greater than 97 feet.

Further, federal law states that non-compliance with the federally mandated saddlemount length could lead to a 10 percent reduction of federal aid for the National Highway System apportioned to the state for the next fiscal year.

“We don’t want our state to be denied any federal assistance it is due simply because we failed to make a minor change to our transportation laws,” King said. “This bill is the key to bringing us into compliance, and I’m glad that it received such positive support.”

SB 5260 will now be considered by the House of Representatives.